An outlandish idea that President Biden was dead or nearly dead was quickly refuted. Few of the accounts that had spread it online recanted.
A podcaster said President Biden was “dying or possibly already dead.” A host on Newsmax requested “proof of life.” And a former Republican congressman simply asked: “Anyone else think Biden is dead?”
When Mr. Biden appeared again late last month after a brief isolation from Covid-19 — still very much alive — many didn’t backtrack or correct their false implications.
NewsGuard, a company that monitors online misinformation, identified 19 prominent accounts on X that in July shared the idea that Mr. Biden was potentially dead or close to death. The New York Times followed those accounts to see how they handled news that Mr. Biden was alive and found that most ignored it or stoked more conspiracy theories. Only a few admitted they had gotten it wrong.
The frenzied conversation over Mr. Biden’s health offered a glimpse, however brief, into how outlandish speculation and conspiracy theories can come and go in a flash — and how even those that are shown to be false are rarely recanted.
Conversation about Mr. Biden on X that featured the word “dead” or “died” received nearly half a million mentions and more than four million interactions over a one-week period last month, according to NewsGuard. Two of the most popular posts advancing the conspiracy theory together received more than 85 million views.
The Times reached out to all 19 accounts for comment. Terrence K. Williams, a comedian on NewsGuard’s list, still believes that “Joe Biden is dying,” he said. Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer, said in an interview that “I stand by my reporting” and clarified that when she wrote that Mr. Biden was “terminally ill,” she meant he had “a year or less” to live. A spokesman for Charlie Kirk, a podcaster, said that Mr. Kirk’s post was based on police speculation and that “Charlie assumed he was very much alive.” Stew Peters, an influencer and radio host, said in a statement that Mr. Biden’s administration still had not provided “legitimate proof of life.” The other 15 people did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
